Page 123 of Omega's Refuge

“I see.” He rubbed his jaw. “Well, we can still turn this meal into a delicious dinner, Tanner.”

“How? Chickens and apples are not the same. Even with my pregnancy brain, I know that.” I shook my head. “Why did I think I could handle cooking you a meal? Lately, I’m lucky if I remember to wear pants.”

He didn’t respond, instead going to grab an extra apron from a hook near the fridge. “We can save this, I promise. We’ll do it together.”

“God, Rex. I should probably just stay out of your way.”

“Nope. We’re doing this together. Team work for the win, right?” He winked at me.

“Uh, sure. If you say so.” I still thought my idea of sitting this out was smarter, but he looked very determined.

Rex reached for a wooden spoon. “The thing about cooking is you have to be ready to pivot, if needed. Most things can be fixed. Using apple juice instead of chicken broth can still produce a delicious meal, Tanner. We’ll just go for a sweet and savory sort of fusion dish.”

“More like a con-fusion dish,” I muttered.

His lips twitched. “That’s funny. I’m glad you still have your sense of humor.” He went to the pantry. “Soy sauce and a dash of hot mustard are going to turn this into a masterpiece.”

I couldn’t help smiling at his enthusiasm. Steve would have been pissed at me for fucking up the dinner, but Rex was good-naturedly going along with things. I watched him work, heart squeezing with affection.

He glanced over at me, his expression warm and encouraging. “Come closer. We’re cooking together, remember?”

“I’m afraid I’ll ruin it if I help.”

“Get your beautiful ass over here, Tanner,” he rumbled. “We’re doing this together. I’ll tell you what to do so you won’t ruin anything.”

I inched closer. “Okay.”

“Here.” He handed me the wooden spoon. “Stir gently, while I add the hot mustard. Make sure it gets mixed in really well. This spice adds wonderful complex flavors if it’s distributed correctly. But no one wants a mouthful of hot mustard.”

He added the mustard, some garlic, and soy sauce, while I stirred diligently. Next, he left me to go chop some green onions. Once everything was in the pan, he lowered the flame, and put a lid on the pan. He led me to the living room, and we sat on the couch.

He put his arms around me, giving me a long, tender kiss. When the kiss ended, he ruffled my hair. “Thank you for wanting to cook me dinner, Tanner.”

I grimaced. “You’re welcome, even though I failed.”

“You didn’t fail. We created a new recipe.” He smiled. “Together.”

“We haven’t tasted it yet. It might be horrible.”

“Nah. Apple juice is great in a recipe. Now, if you’d added too much salt or something like that, that’s harder to fix. But seriously, this meal is going to be great. Can’t you tell how good it smells already?”

“Yes, but sometimes things smell better than they taste.”

“I guarantee you’re going to love this meal.”

His confidence was contagious and I found myself smiling. “You always manage to make bad situations okay,” I said softly. “I feel so good around you, Rex. You’re like the sun or something.”

He laughed. “I’ve been called worse.”

I rested my hands on my big belly. “This kid is going to be lucky to have you in its life.”

“I’m excited to meet him or her.” He placed his hand over one of mine. “And the baby is lucky to have you too. You’re amazing, Tanner.”

“You say that to me all the time.” I met his warm gaze. “I’m starting to believe you.”

“Good. You should.”

“Maybe I will be a good dad. I’ll do anything for this kid. I already love this little person inside me.” My eyes stung as I thought about the baby. “I don’t know why I get to be so happy, but I’m glad of it.”

---